Although we’re in the “dog days” of the offseason, there are still a few trade options for teams to look at ahead of training camp, here’s where I think each will go IF they end up being traded this offseason, and why.
JT Miller: Washington Capitals
I think the possibility of JT Miller remaining with the Canucks for the season is much higher than it was a few weeks ago, but there’s still a chance he’s moved, as he generated a ton of interest around the league at the beginning of the offseason.
I said this in another article, but I think Miller goes to a Metropolitan team, and I have that team pegged as the Washington Capitals *if* he is moved.
Along with Washington, I could see the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres showing interest.
In terms of value, it’s hard to predict what a team will give up for Miller, but I’d say the bare minimum would need to be a first-round pick and prospect, considering what Minnesota got for Kevin Fiala.
Jakob Chychrun: Los Angeles Kings
Chychrun is another player, like Miller, that isn’t a certainty to be moved this summer, but definitely could be.
I see many teams being interested in Chychrun, as he’s on one of the best contracts in the league in terms of AAV along with the term he has remaining, and he’s a top-four, arguably top-pairing defenseman.
Ultimately for me, it looks like Los Angeles is ready to get out of their rebuild stage, and for me that means giving up your prospects to pick up talent and contend for the Stanley Cup, which is what they’d be doing here if they acquired Chychrun.
I think it’ll cost a first-round pick and at least two top-level prospects for Chychrun. Along with Los Angeles, I see St. Louis, and maybe Florida leading the way.
Vladimir Tarasenko: Philadelphia Flyers
Listen, I think we all know that the Philadelphia Flyers are going to be at the bottom of the NHL this season. Well, all of us except Chuck Fletcher. Which is why I could totally see them making a move like this.
Obviously, this is assuming that Tarasenko is willing to sign long-term with the Flyers, but with some retained salary, I wouldn’t be shocked with this.
Christian Dvorak: Boston Bruins
Boston’s top-two centres (assuming reports of contracts being ready but not finalized by the NHL are correct) are Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Both of them are probably done in the NHL after this season, and you’re going to need a centre to take over on the first line for a little bit.
Dvorak is that guy. He’s had some rough seasons, but we’ve seen the potential he can reach when he is on his game, so I think it’d be a good fit for him in Boston.
Tyson Barrie: Arizona Coyotes
A lot of the teams I had pegged as options for Tyson Barrie are off of the market by the looks of it (Anaheim, Montreal), so this was a harder one to pick.
Ultimately, I went with Arizona, because there’s really nothing for them to lose here. Barrie is seen as a hot commodity by many teams around the league, and Edmonton wants to move him to allow Evan Bouchard more opportunities, so the Coyotes can pounce, use him this year, and then flip him in his final contract year ahead of 2023-24.
Tyler Myers: Ottawa Senators
Should Ottawa go for Tyler Myers? No.
Will they? Maybe.
The fact of the matter is that the Senators are in the hunt to add a top-four right-handed defenseman before opening night puck drop, and Tyler Myers fits that bill by the eyes of most general managers.
For their sake, I hope not because they’ve had a near-perfect offseason, but we’ll see…